I used to be a firm believer in WML’s but now having children I dont exactly want to go see what that noise was in the house somewhere and light up one of my kids with a pistol pointed at them. I am however still a hardcore believer in 1911’s :sunglasses: I will gladly trade round capacity for a hunk of steel slabsides in my hand any day! (edit) I do have a single mode mounted on my ARX as that serves a different purpose and I dont expect to be doing much room clearing in my house.
These two answers exactly. Yes turbo is good for a quick hit and move off target also. Always move off target after lighting a subject.
Yes, However I do not have a big enough thrower to reach out and touch someone at 1,500 plus yards. LOL 
This thread has evolved quite nicely into an adult conversation about “tactical” uses and peoples different needs and uses of defensive flashlights without anyone debating how one way or another is wrong. Quite nice actually.
Imagine a modded BLF GT mounted on a rifle 
HAHAHAHAHAHA
One good use for a quality zoomie… near-zero spill.
Need to put the bi-pod under thick concrete, or the sheer weight will pull it into the ground.
A few months ago, I just got the Q8 and about a week later, got to use it when I heard a thump.
Posted it here and was ROASTED on how I took my life into my hands investigating it. Something about…what if he had a handgun. A handgun? In a very low crime city. In Canada. Where they are so restricted that it costs two grand in the black market.
Now I read post after post on defensive/offensive use of flashlights.
Can you people please make up your minds!
Meanwhile, I’ll keep looking through the Uzbekistan Mail Order Brides site……
Actually, this thread “whut’s a ‘tactical’ light?” was asked a while back.
My answer remains the same. 1 mode only, or at least be extremely difficult to accidentally switch modes, and a forward-clicky (momentary-on) switch.
You want to be able to quietly flash’n’dash, not have to click-on and click-off, also giving away your position by sound.
Now, ideally, you’d want a 2-stage switch, a light press (like on a DSLR) to give low-intensity light, and a full press for going “turbo”. But those switches would likely be less reliable than a single-stage (simpler) switch.
Fixed that for ya…
Different people have different opions on what to do in situations. Do whatever you feel is needed to protect you and your family. Training and practice is key though. I know that your parameters for “self defense” are very strict so train within your legal limits.
This is why I recomend the ASP Triad CR to people. Single mode with a twisty tailcap to select either momentary only or fwd clicky. If only the pocket clip didnt suck and I hated the foam grip on mine until I machined a knurled sleeve to replace it. Plus if you want 18650 use you have to have to body bored. Primaries only from the factory.
In my eyes that is correct. My “clicky” SF tailcaps are not tactically correct. Even tough it takes some effort to get them to click and latch for constant on. In stress a person might press too hard. a tailcap that has only momentary on with a press, and a constant on with the tailcap being fully twisted into the tightened position is what I consider a proper tactical tailcap. Also, the gas pedal tailcaps that SF now has re introduced on some models I consider tactical, slight press for low hard press for high.
Bugger, they stole my idea…
I am a former SAR tech & volunteer firefighter, and yes i used Surfire, streamlight, and all those very few local-built brands that seemed to be worshiped & considered the only flashlights to own or use by some people of a certain other forum i won’t mention here I moved to BLF because it is far more informative, more mod-friendly, & open to great lights of all price ranges, brands, models, types, & sources, and not stuck in a narrow bubble/perspective of a single brand buttering-up mentality of some people i met elsewhere because of some organizations & governments supply their public servants a particular brand of light, (partly in due for the fact they were FREE suppied as tools for most police, fire, military, SAR, as well as a free supply of CR123 batteries.There are cases though where when the surefires & streamlights fell very short of SAR requirements, especially in the high-output or long throwing needs for marine, wilderness, or air searching. I started out on the “other” forum, but came here and felt this was better suited for my needs and interests, especially when it comes to modding lights to better them or needing certain types of lights that the government-supplied brands fell short on. I do have some Surfires and still like them, but they have their purpose and limitations.
Fwiw, for quite a while I was EDCing a Nitefox UT20, which has a FC tailswitch (power on/off only, momentary-on), and uses a side-switch to select the mode. Quite nice, but it’s a moose.
Yes, a long time ago, now brought it back
If you are doing SAR work, Surefires except for the Dominator is really not an option. Hahahahahaha oh and the price of the Dominator… :person_facepalming: